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The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamics of trust creation in an early buyer–supplier relationship phase at the interpersonal level. The authors use a brand-based communication approach to investigate the trust–risk–commitment link.

Survey data from 204 senior managers in small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Australia were collected and analyzed.

Results indicate that ability, credibility, benevolence and persona of supplier brand representatives (SBRs) relate significantly to a buyers’ trust in SBR, leading to diminished perceived risk, and increased relationship commitment between the parties. These findings support the importance of using individual representatives who are able to broadcast their supplier’s brand values, and increase trust in exploratory buyer–supplier relationships.

This research focused on SMEs in Australia, investigating exploratory phase of the interpersonal relationships. Future research can investigate large firms interacting in different relationship phases in the light of brand-based communication.

The study describes several strategies for both buying and supplying firms to use, to best use brand-based communication as a means to build trust in the early phases of buyer–supplier relationships.

Prior research has focused on interorganizational trust and established or mature buyer–supplier relationships. This study investigates the initial phase of buyer–supplier relationships, and at the interpersonal exchange level. It also incorporates a role for brand-based communication in the buyer–supplier relationship which has received limited attention in the literature.

While supply chain scholars concur on the need to integrate supply chain finance (SCF) processes to meet ever-changing customer demands, it is unclear how SCF influences business performance in the presence of perceived opportunistic behavior. Therefore, the study aims to investigate the moderating role of perceived partner opportunism in the supply chain.

Drawing on the dynamic capability theory (DCT), this study investigates how perceived supply chain partner opportunism moderates the mediating role of supply- and demand-oriented performances on the link between SCF and business performance, from the retail industry perspective. Data was collected from Australian retailing firms. In all, 293 completed surveys were received. Moderated mediation analysis was conducted.

The results of this study indicate that supply- and demand-oriented performances serially mediate the relationship between SCF and business performance. The study also found that the effect of SCF on performance was higher when perceived partner opportunism was lower.

To respond to changes in consumer preferences and demand effectively, supply chain and marketing managers need to understand the complex interaction between supply- and demand-oriented performances and the key role of SCF in developing such capabilities.

The current study theorizes and demonstrates the effects of supply- and demand-oriented performances that can facilitate the effects of SCF on business performance. Also, the study reveals the effect of each dimension of SCF (accounts payable, accounts receivable and inventory finance) on supply- and demand-oriented performances. Additionally, the study shows the key role of perceived partner opportunism in supply chain management.

In the current customer‐centred business environment, organisations are adopting market‐oriented behaviour in an effort to enhance their value creation and delivery capabilities. This study seeks to investigate whether supplier market orientation leads to the creation of superior supplier perceived value and organisational performance. It is contended that supplier perceived value creation mediates the relationship between market orientation and business performance.

A model was developed that places supplier perceived value creation as a mediator of the relationship between market orientation and business performance. The model was tested using structural equation modelling on 244 fresh produce suppliers interviewed in face‐to‐face interviews.

The results indicate that, whilst customer orientation enhances supplier perceived value creation, competitor orientation and interfunctional coordination were negatively associated with it. Supplier perceived value creation had a mediating effect on the link between market orientation and business performance. Additionally, supplier perceived value creation had a negative effect on financial performance, but was positively related to marketing performance.

The study indicates that not all market orientation components lead to positive effects on business performance. For some organisations market orientation can actually reduce business performance. Thus managers should specifically be careful to implement customer orientation as a way of enhancing business performance as the costs may outweigh the benefits.

Limited work has investigated the role of supplier perceived value creation and research has called for empirical work on mediators of the market orientation‐business performance link. The paper adds to existing knowledge by unveiling how supplier market orientation influences their ability to conceptualise supplier delivered value.

The purpose of this paper is to advance the concept of “integrative capability” as a critical dynamic capability (DC) and empirically investigate its implications for a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage in business partnerships.

This study is based on an empirical analysis of a sample of 300 manufacturing firms in south and central China.

Integrative capability is an important mediator in relationship between operational capabilities (managerial, marketing and technological capabilities) and firm performance. Integrative capability has a significant direct impact on a firm’s performance (marketing effectiveness and financial performance) and also indirect impact via the creation of new operational capabilities.

Managers should recognise the significant payoffs of developing integrative capability. Integrative capability helps a firm transfer the benefits of operational capabilities from alliances partners to superior firm performance. Further, integrative capability also effectively updates and renews a firm’s operational capabilities that lead to an enhanced firm performance.

Extending the DC literature, this study untangles the complex relationship among operational capabilities, DC and firm performance. Moreover, the study adds new insights into extant literature by conceptualising, operationalising and empirically testing one specific DC – integrative capability.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of organisational level supply chain activities on the effect of inter‐organisational information systems (IOIS) and activity (IOA) integration on business performance of retailing organisations within Australia.

The study followed a causal research approach and survey methodology to collect data from the managers of food and hardware retailers. Multiple regression and MacKinnon et al.'s mediation analysis were used to investigate the hypothesised relationships.

The results suggest that inter‐organisational information systems (IOIS) and activity integration have positive effects on customer responsiveness and financial performance of organisations. Organisational‐level supply chain functions mediate the relationships between IOIS and activity integration and customer responsiveness, as well as financial performance.

The research focused at the retailer level of the supply chain. Large‐scale cross‐sectional studies that include other levels of supply chain are required for generalisability.

The research suggests that organisations need to integrate their inter‐organisational information systems and activities with supply chain partners to enhance supply chain and business performance.

The results extend the body of knowledge on inter‐organisational information systems, inter‐organisational integration and supply chain management. The study also provides some empirical insights into management practices in the retailing sector.